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A well above average tablet!

Posted 4 years ago

Davinger

Elite Plus Member

Top 250 Contributor

I have an aging Galaxy Note 10.1 (the first edition) that still meets my needs but when they announced the 2014 edition and I saw the scratches on the case and how worn the edges were I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger and get the 2014 Edition. They have made some serious changes to the tablet. It is much closer to being a functional personal computer than a tablet. This thing has power to spare and the display is nothing less than spectacular.
To test the new toy I decided to treat it like one and I put several games on it. I know this will offend some of you purist out there that this isn’t a toy but I like to test it with games because they use so much of the resources. This brings me to the downside. The games make it run warm not overly so but enough to let you know that overclocking isn’t a good idea. Not that I would overclock it until the manufacturer’s warranty expires.
They have done away with the broad plug that we have all come to know and love and replaced it with a micro SD. My only complaint about the micro SD placement is that it is on the bottom so if you are checking your portfolio in bed you will have to unplug it before use. The battery life is horrible when playing at full load if you get two hours you’ve done something. The recharge time is slow and they still have a very short cord. I would recommend a USB extension cord as a purchase with the unit so you can use it while it’s charging.
As of now the 2014 edition is only available in the wireless version and I don’t know if they have plans for a 4G version as yet but I’m pretty sure it’s only a matter of time. It seems to have better range than my old 10.1 off my router and downloads seem to be a little faster. It runs applications quite well and streaming video isn’t a problem for this beast. I won’t bore you with the tech specs on it since they are plastered all over the internet.
The display is crystal clear and they have moved the speakers from the face to the sides. The sound quality is fair but for a tablet that is high marks. They have changed the interface to more like one of the Galaxy S4 phones. You have the center button and the other 2 that are touch. One thing about my old tablet I didn’t like was that the stylus only fit one way in the lower right corner. The new stylus fits two ways in the upper right corner. It is also thinner and fits more snug than the old one. While holding it over the screen it displays a small cursor that makes it easy to know where you are going to touch.
The unit is sensitive and often I find that when I tap an application icon if the stylus slips even a little it will turn the page. One of the drawbacks of the note is that only the Samsung stylus works on it. My old one works on the new one and the opposite is true but a generic stylus is out. Since they supply one that isn’t a problem until you lose it. It responds well to finger commands as well and doesn’t seem to mind fat fingers. The surface of the tablet is extremely sensitive and often times while holding it and using it I find that it opens other screens.
The ability to multitask and have several windows open at one time puts this tablet over the top. Yes you can have several documents open at the same time you are surfing the web. This is a good business tablet as well as a home use. The micro USB attachment lets you charge it in your car if you have a phone with a micro USB. The next version I would like to see the charger point moved to one side or the top this way you can use it in bed while it’s charging. I know it is a tablet and you can flip it but it moves the controls to the top since they don’t travel with the screen.
The eye tracking feature needs a little work but it does work for the most part. You have to be in good light for it. The GPS works well enough and pairing it to Bluetooth devices is easy enough. In short this is an awesome tablet but it is a bit on the expensive side I got the 32 gigabyte version because you double the space. It still has my general complaint that I have about other tablets. There is no upgrading the unit and once the battery goes you have to send it in for a new one. Since this unit goes through the battery so quickly if you are using it in the field I would recommend you bring a portable charger with you.
Remember I’m rating this as a tablet and not a personal computer so I give it a solid four stars and for ease of use it also gets four stars. For some the stylus is a pain but I kind of like having it right there all in one package. It also does things that the generic ones don’t. Next time you’re in the store give it a look and play with it. You may just take it home.
I dropped in a decent 64 gigabyte micro SD card and I got the USB adapter for ten more dollars. I also bought the Belkin case and it works.

I would recommend this to a friend

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thriving

Elite Plus Member

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

Android to the MAX!!!

Posted 5 years ago

thriving

Elite Plus Member

I use my tablets for movies, music, games, school work and some business tasks. The hardware specs on this beast pretty much tell you that it's made to do almost anything. As most will know Android is about customizing the way you want it. The plus is this tablet can easily run all current apps out there, the minus is there are so many features/apps already bundled its difficult to know which ones to keep installed at first.
I love using the stylus like a mouse pointer and how its nicely housed in the side of the tablet. The note apps are a nice new twist on old ideas.
I encoded a 2hr MKV file at 1080p 29.97 fps 8Mbps to the size of 8GB and it looks amazing on this screen. This unfortunately showed a storage shortcoming, you really need to have a 64GB microSD card in this and hopefully if 128GB microSD cards become available it can use them. It plays FLAC audio files no problem except for some 24/96 files. Games look incredible on the screen, but still cannot completely max all settings on some games without a frames dropping.
Reading books looks incredible and no issues encountered so far.
The web browser seems improved over ICS as I am able to flawlessly use my school's site no problem now but previous Android tablets gave me scrolling issues. Even though google/droid said they were dropping flash, the built in browser played HD videos from youtube no problem. I've noticed the dual band Wifi seems to have a farther range as it picks up some public WiFi spots in places my old tablet did not.
Some neat features common to the Note Smartphones on the tablet include Watch On which allows you to control your TV and set top box from the tablet. WiFi direct allows you to stream movies straight to a TV/Blu-Ray player that has this feature. The 8mp rear camera takes some nice pictures and is not bad for a tablet.
There are far too many bundled apps for me to use but I imagine this can make the tablet more usable to a wider demo graph of potential users. I can't but wonder how much cheaper the tablet could have been with less software but it really comes down to your own individual needs.

I would recommend this to a friend

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Dan012

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

2

Slow and lacks simple features

Posted 4 years ago

Dan012

I bought this device as a simple laptop replacement, mostly to just browse the internet, check email, and other small tasks. I read about supported apps like Firefox, Chrome, and other applications that I usually use, so I went for this. So this is a review for those who are looking to do the same.
The OS is just too annoying to use, and I wish that I went with Windows 8. For starters, lets talk about responsiveness. The UI is very sluggish, even compared to a smart phone. The UI lags and feels choppy. The device lists 3gb of RAM, but what they don't tell you is that only 900mb is free with 0 apps running. The thing is loaded with bloatware that cannot be removed or disabled. It is just slow, even when browsing the web.
Now lets talk about the keyboard, because interaction is everything. It literally fills half the screen whenever you want to type, and you cannot resize it. I am constanty scrolling to see the text fields that I am typing into. It also isn't a full keyboard. They chose to make the buttons about the size of your thumbnail, and you have to cycle between 3 tabs to get symbols such as the curly brackets {}. There is so much room, they could have had a full keyboard layout, especially when half the screen is used!! I need to move my whole arm to type out words.
Do you need spellcheck? I hope not because there isn't any. I guess I got spoiled with spellcheck in chrome and firefox. The android counterparts just don't have it, and the keyboard doesn't either (although it does have predictive text, but you need to spell right for that). There are no plugins either. So gmail, posting in forums, etc... There is no spellcheck in those. I am not a horrible speller, but the keyboard is long and I am constantly making typos with adjacent keys. It takes a while to click a word and correct it (because of the slow response), it is just easier to backspace whatever was typed and start over.
If you wear glasses to read, then prepair to have the screen time out on you constantly. You need to keep clicking the screen to keep it from locking you out. It detects your eyes and determines if you are looking at the screen, and if not, then it will turn it off. At least it will dim for a few seconds beforehand to warn you. If you wear glasses, it won't detect your eyes 40% of the time.
I like the screen, the pen is wonderful, and sound is really good. There is a lot of good things about this device, but the poor keyboard and items mentioned above just overshadow everything. It is hard to get past those when 90% of daily use involve them. If you want a laptop replacement, then don't get an android device. Other than the stylus, it contains no more features than your phone. I should have just bought what I knew would work, but I gambled with this and lost.
This took me over an hour to type on my galaxy. Sorry for any typos or spelling mistakes. I tried to proof this a few times.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend

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Satcruiser

Elite Plus Member

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

3

Excellent tablet - Buggy Software

Posted 5 years ago

Satcruiser

Elite Plus Member

I will start by saying that the reason for the 3 stars is mainly for the instability of the software which I am hoping will get better over time.
Hardware:
1. Screen is Fabulous ..... period
2. Overall size and thickness are excellent
3. Build quality is good but still has plastic feeling. Very sturdy when held in the hand.
4. Weight is good but not as light as the Xperia tablet
5. Battery life is good. Used it for a full day and had 25% to spare.
Software:
This is where I really have all my gripes. There are many cases where the screen lags behind and the system is trying to catch up. I did one to one comparisons with my wife's Note 8 which was very smooth and performant in every way.
For example:
1. Streaming video or audio may take a few seconds to start up on the 10.1 while on the 8 it is instantaneous.
2. HD streaming on Netflix seems to struggle a bit with video stuttering and lip sync but did eventually catch up.
3. XBMC installs and starts up very fast, but video streaming is very erratic, and there is static in the audio. Note 8 is perfect.
4. First time I used Google Earth it crashed. I used it two more times after that and it worked fine.
5. DISH Anywhere, Crackle, MX Player and Video player perform very fast and as expected with no issues so far.
In general if you want to stay up with the latest and want to spend the money then this is a good tablet and well recommended. I decided to get this over the upcoming iPAD 5 because the iPad does not support external memory and I do not like the restriction of using iTunes as my transfer medium.
As far as the software problems, they are all fixable and I believe will get resolved over time. I am willing to wait and am keeping my tablet.

I would recommend this to a friend

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trugeekcali

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4

Great tablet, but returned it and got another

Posted 5 years ago

trugeekcali

I LOVE this tablet, does everything you can think of and more. The MicroSD port is so nice to transfer and use for data storage. It was between this and and iPad, and I can't believe I was even considering an iPad. I make GoPro videos, sometimes I just want to watch my footage and not have to connect to my laptop or take my laptop with me. The MicroSD port allows me to take my microSD from the gopro and insert it to my tablet and I can watch my footage, not laptop needed! Great for when I go snowboarding this season and don't want to lug my laptop to the mountain and leave it in the hotel. MY tablet is so portable, this is going to be awesome,
Now, as far as the quality goes, it's great don't get me wrong, however I must mention the problem I recently encountered with it. The speakers are "moving parts" meaning they're not part of the shell casing. The right side speaker became loose to where if you tilted the tablet, it popped out a bit. I noticed it because of the ticking noise I kept hearing everytime I rotated it. The floor model at best buy seemed to make a slight ticking noise on the right side speaker as well,but their second floor model didn't seem to have any issues. so I'm thinking this is a manufacturer defect that needs to be addressed. Regardless, I returned it since it was $600.
I was going to just exchange it and get a new one. However, due to Best Buy's strict 15 day return policy I opted to get my money back and will get another one very soon. I'd like to also address the price their Geek Squad warranty charges. They wanted over $300 for a 3 year warranty?! That's insane, I'd rather just buy a new one for that cost.
Best Buy, why the 15 day return policy and overpriced warranties, I can't support it. Just doesn't make any sense to charge 50% of the products worth to cover it, boggles my mind. Regardless, this tablet is still the best device I've ever owned and looking forward to getting my new one.

I would recommend this to a friend

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LindaL

Verified Purchase

Elite Plus Member

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

Powerhouse Tablet! I highly recommend it!

Posted 4 years ago

LindaL

Verified Purchase

Elite Plus Member

I've tried a few tablets and returned every one of them because they couldn't handle what I wanted to do with them. None of them could take as much as my Galaxy Note 2 cell phone can, and I always have my phone on me...it's much smaller to tote. Well, for kicks, I tried one more, which I enjoyed, the Galaxy Tab 3; but I ended up returning that, too, because it did not have the graphic design capability that this Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition had (which is Very Important to me as a graphic designer). So, I went for the Note 10.1 2014 Edition after reading about a hundred reviews on how great it was. So, I'm adding my review to the pile of satisfied customers:
First of all, I am in LOVE with Android anything!! This android platform is just like my Note 2 cell phone, which I'm very happy with.
The build-in Sketchbook app for graphic design is almost as good as the $600 Photoshop program! I'm so excited about that app and the drawing pen and I can do so many things with it including design layouts ON-THE-SPOT for customers!
I bought the 32gb version to ensure I had enough space in the tablet to begin with; so, I also loaded about 250 word/pdf documents on the tablet to use it as a lyrics book with the band - again, worked perfectly and most excellently, without hassle! I may even add my favorite recipes in this thing, too, so that I don't have to keep a cookbook - just open it up on the tablet to make dinner from scratch! By the way, music sounds really good on it, too - the speakers are out of the sides instead of the back like cell phones... now, if they were on the front, it would be even better!
I loaded vudu and flixster and it plays my movies and youtube videos flawlessly, too, as long as I have a stable wi-fi internet connection.
The included stylus pen is a bit small, but usable if you need to freehand draw. I purchased the wider Bamboo Stylus feel and I really like that one much better!
Lastly, I bought a case with a removable Bluetooth keyboard, which helps a lot, too.
This really is the best tablet I've seen yet - I'm very glad I bought it; I just wish it were not so expensive!! I told myself that I would not buy into a tablet unless it really made sense for me to have one. Whether I'm on-the-go or at home, visiting customers, performing with the band, or just doing the activities that I need to make life easier... THIS TABLET DID THE TRICK FOR ME and I'M VERY HAPPY!!

I would recommend this to a friend

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ThoroughReview

Elite Plus Member

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

2

First disappointment with Samsung

Posted 4 years ago

ThoroughReview

Elite Plus Member

I have numerous Samsung products: Galaxy Tab3, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3, HD Smart TV. I have become an avid fan of Samsung all around. I LOVE my Note 3, so I splurged and picked up the Note 10.1 (2014 ed) 32GB. The display is beautiful and mesmerizing just as I expected. I was so excited to have a HUGE version of my beloved Note 3.
After a string of disappointments, I really feel like Samsung cut corners and skimped on this one.
1. The built in speakers sound like a transistor radio. (Well so does my Note3, but it's a phone right?) If you plug in some headphones, the sound quality is spectacular, but I was expecting when I spend $550 on a product, it should sound exquisite without headphones. I mean, all the new laptops are coming with HD Beats Audio now adays. This thing sounds horrible. And to top that one off... They didn't even include earbuds in the packaging.
2. USB2 as a charger port. WHY??? My Note3 has USB3 and will charge from dead to full in under 2 hours. WHY put a cheap USB2 plug in a luxury device? The manufacturing cost to make it USB3 can't be worth disappointing their customer base.
3. Battery life... I can play games on my Note3 all day long and only periodically charge it when I put it down. The Note 10.1 drains battery very fast in comparison and charges very slow comparatively as well.
4. Button configuration. The big protruding menu button is at the center of the tablet on the LANDSCAPE edge with the back button and submenu button to the left and right. This is fine, except the default portrait mode (the position that many games display) places the buttons on the left side of the screen. If you are right handed (most of us are), that means if you hold the tablet between your thumb and fingers instead of cradling it like a newborn, you are bound to fumble these buttons relentlessly.
5. The volume buttons... Instead of doing something intuitive, it looks like the took the volume button piece on the mainboard, and just rotated it around the edge to the right side of the portrait view. Most specifically, they did not change the orientation of the button, they just rotated it around the edge clockwise. This mean the "down button" actually turns UP the volume, and the "up button" turns the volume down. Plus they put it by the power button again *sigh*. Because I love pressing the power button when I mean to turn the volume down. I thought Samsung figured out this was a bad design a couple of years ago, but here it is again.
I really really want to LOVE this thing like I do my other Samsung products, but I just can't justify spending $800 (sticker price+tax and insurance) for something that I was expecting to be luxurious and just isn't. I would totally compromise on my stance if the speakers were HD quality and they put a $5 pair of earbuds in the packaging.
I'm going to return it and get a PS4 or something instead.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend

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RRod

Elite Plus Member

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4

Worth Your Hard Earned Money

Posted 5 years ago

RRod

Elite Plus Member

This tablet takes a monumental step forward, in terms of upgrading from it's last years iteration. If you're here, you more than likely read some in-depth reviews from tech sites already -- so I'll skip the intro, and get down to the nitty gritty, and address what's important.
The S-Pen features is what sets this tablet apart from any other out there. Do other tablets have a stylus? Sure, but they're more of a finger replacement rather than a truly functional tool. Samsung's S-Pen and supporting application is far past the competition.
The size and redesigned exterior is very good. The silver trim is somewhat reminiscent of faux silverware for eating utensils, but still better than the last years model, for sure.
To address the elephant in the room -- the tablet DOES have lag right out of the box. When flipping through home screens, there's noticeable stutters and frame rate drops. I switched to the NOVA Launcher, and it now runs extremely smooth. It's apparent Samsung through on this version of Android quickly, to get it out of the door, and didn't truly optimize the software for their own hardware. I have faith that Samsung will release a future firmware update that will address this.
All in all, this tablet has all the features you'd want in a premium tablet: monster specs, beautiful screen, easy to handle, attractive design, and expandable memory. It's definitely worth the investment.